


Time To Die

by Hannurdock



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Amorous Advances, Answering Machine Melodramatics, Being tied up on a bed, M/M, Protective Ed, Scarecrow's New Brew, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt, Telephone Angst, The need for justice, fear toxin, suicidal behaviour
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:00:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25913248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hannurdock/pseuds/Hannurdock
Summary: Oswald gets hit with Scarecrow's new fear toxin. It makes him unable to accept the mistakes of his past and, now determined to end his life and make things right, will Riddler intervene? Or will justice finally be served.
Relationships: Oswald Cobblepot/Edward Nygma
Comments: 3
Kudos: 72





	Time To Die

Riddler was working on a project when his mobile phone rang. Without looking up from his laborious task of fixing wires onto a home-made explosive, Ed let the phone ring out. He never answered the phone directly but listened as the voicemail kicked in for the identity and reason of the caller. Grumbling to himself he stilled instantly when the tortured voice of Oswald Cobblepot filled the room around him with absolute misery.  
  
"Ed... so sorry." Oswald's voice sobbing bought Ed out from his project, picking up the phone at once and cancelling voicemail.  
  
"Oswald? What? What have you done?" Riddler barked. He was in no mood to rescue Oswald from one of his idiotic ventures right now.  
  
"I killed her. I killed her and I hurt you. I know what I have to do now." Oswald whimpered.  
  
Ed could barely hear the words through all the crying. "Oswald? What are you talking about?"  
  
Isabelle." Oswald sobbed.  
  
" _Isabella_." Ed corrected softy, by reflex. "Oswald. That was a long time ago. I'm no longer at war with you over that."  
  
"I can't go on knowing I killed her, Ed. I was so selfish. I just wanted to say goodbye to you and wish you all the best." Oswald steadied himself, breathing deeply.  
  
"Where are you?" Ed asked.  
  
"Where do you think?!" Oswald cried, laughing hysterically through endless tears. "Goodbye dear friend."  
  
Ed whitened as the phone cut off, leaving him alone with his thoughts. Grabbing his keys and gun, Ed shot out of his lair at once, driving to the pier in record time. He could see Oswald from a distance, at the far end of the pier, shaking. A gun was held firmly in his right hand and pressed to his temple. Ed’s heart almost stopped at the sight, parking as quickly as possible (actually, it wasn’t really parking, merely screeching to a stop and leaping out of the vehicle before it had stopped moving entirely.)  
  
Sprinting up the pier Ed ran as fast as his legs would carry him and finally ended up completely out of breath and a couple of metres away from his best friend still holding the gun against his forehead.  
  
"Oswald. What the hell?" Ed leaned on his legs, trying to get his breath back. Bending forward he took several deep breaths and centred himself. Then he looked up at Oswald.  
  
Oswald turned to face Ed. His face was a complete mess, snot dripping from his nose and his cheeks flushed red and wet with tear tracks. "Why are you here? Go away, Ed!"  
  
"No." Ed said simply, edging forward a little. Penguin’s hand tightened around the weapon and Ed shrank back a little. "Don't you think I should be the one to pull the trigger, Penguin? I was the one you hurt most. I should be the one to kill you."  
  
Oswald stopped sobbing briefly while he weighed Ed's words carefully. Sobbing, he passed the gun to Ed and got down on his knees painfully. Ed could hear the bird’s knees cracking as they hit the wood, wincing as he looked at the gun in his hand.  
  
"Do what you must. I deserve it. Aim for the head this time, my friend. I'll probably come back again if you shoot me anywhere else."  
  
Ed took a deep, steadying breath and holstered the gun in the back of his trousers, sighing with relief. "Get off your knees, Oswald. I'm not going to kill you."  
  
"You tricked me." Penguin howled, hands desperately seeking his switchblade from inside his inner jacket.  
  
Ed stepped forward at once, falling to his knees and grabbing Oswald's clammy hands, holding them firmly. "What happened to you? Oswald, look at me."  
  
As Oswald attempted to focus on Riddler, Ed stood up, bringing Penguin to his feet and looking deeply into his eyes.  
  
"You're pupils are dilating wildly." Riddler surmised. "You've been drugged, Oswald. None of this is real."  
  
"Please, kill me!" Oswald begged, spit forming at the corners of his mouth.  
  
"I didn't have time to bring a sedative." Ed thought aloud. "We can't stay here any longer. We are too exposed."  
  
"Let go of my hands, Ed!" Penguin screamed.  
  
"Sorry about this, Oswald. But you'll thank me later." Ed grabbed Penguin firmly, locking his arm around Oswald's throat effectively blocking his airway. Penguin thrashed around ineffectively and finally blacked out. Ed lifted the limp form onto his shoulder and carried him back to the car.  
  
Back at the lair, Ed settled Oswald into his bed, making sure the restraints were secure in case Oswald was still suicidal when he woke. Taking a sample of the bird's blood, Ed analysed it thoroughly, recognising the unique chemical signature of Scarecrow's fear toxin. It was a different formula, but it utilised the fear of oneself instead of the fear being an external force.  
  
"Interesting" Ed surmised. "This should wear off on its own and soon. You are one lucky bird, Oswald."  
  
Oswald heard Ed's voice as he fought his way back to consciousness. Groaning, he blinked, looking around himself and realising that he was heavily restrained. "Ed? What's going on?"  
  
"You were hit with a new fear toxin." Ed smiled, looking at Oswald's expression of disbelief. "It made you want to kill yourself."  
  
"I'm so glad we are allies again." Oswald sighed, closing his eyes and trying to ignore the headache blooming.  
  
"Indeed." Ed agreed. "I can create a vaccine from this toxin so it will never affect you again."  
  
"Were you tempted to let me die?" Oswald asked softly.  
  
"Not for one second." Ed admitted, voice breaking a little. "Do you still think I want you dead? After all this time?"  
  
"You could have been the King of Gotham." Oswald cracked a wry smile. "You could have ruled them all."  
  
Riddler turned to face Oswald. "Firstly, I have no desire to become King of Gotham. That is your dream, not mine."  
  
Oswald laughed a little.  
  
"Secondly, we are more than mere allies. After everything we've been though I'd never let you die so easily. Not when I can do something to stop it." Ed griped.  
  
"Why Ed, that is borderline romantic." Oswald laughed.  
  
"Guilty." Ed admitted. "You mean a lot to me. Try and get some sleep, little bird. Get rid of the last of that poison from your system."  
  
"Then you'll untie me?" Oswald asked, testing his restraints timidly.  
  
Ed shot him a wicked smile. "Oh, I don't know. I kind of like having you tied up on my bed. I might keep you here for a while."  
  
"You savage!" Penguin laughed till tears were falling from his eyes. Then the meaning of Ed's words hit him fully and he reddened, looking at Riddler with wide eyes.  
  
Ed choked back a devious laugh and went back to his work, completely carefree.  
  
His bird was now safe from harm…  
  
…but definitely not safe from Ed's amorous advances.


End file.
